Shutdown paralyses life; dozens injured

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 29: Militants attacked police parties in South Kashmir today amid heightened tension after the killing of three civilians in security forces firing in Central Kashmir district of Budgam even as shutdown disrupted normal life in Kashmir.
Militants this evening attacked a police party at Yaripora in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. Militants opened fire upon a police party outside the Police Station Yaripora. However, no one was injured in the attack. Security forces launched searches in the area after the attack, however, no one was arrested.
Militants threw a grenade at a Police Party in Goriwan Chowk in Bijbehara area of Anantnag district tonight. Police in retaliation fired several rounds in air and the militants fled under the cover of darkness. However, no damage was done. Security forces conducted searches in the area. However, no one was arrested.
In the meantime, strike was observed across Kashmir today against killing of three civilians – Ishfaq Ahmad, Zahid Rashid and Saqib Ahmad – who were killed at Chadoora in security forces firing during clashes amid a gun battle in the village.
The militant Tauseef Ahmad who was killed yesterday at Chadoora was buried in his ancestral Kanjkul village of Yaripora area of Kulgam district today. The burial followed by clashes at Kanjkul and Yaripora where protesters resorted to heavy stone pelting on security forces. Scores of youth and eight cops including SHO Yaripora Athar Samad were injured in clashes at Yaripora. Several youths were also detained during clashes at Yaripora.
In Srinagar, a complete shutdown was observed since morning. All the shops, commercial establishements and educational institutions were closed. The public transport was off the roads while private vehicles were plying at few places.
Stone-pelting clashes broke out at Rawalpora, Bagh-e-Mehtab, Zampa Kadal, Batamaloo, Habba Kadal, Safa Kadal, HMT, Parimpora and other areas of the city. The clashes were also reported from several old city areas including Rainawari. Police used teargas shells to disperse the protesters. One civilian was injured during clashes at Rawalpora and he was shifted to hospital.
Reports of shutdown were received from all parts of the Valley. Protests were also reported from parts of Budgam district while massive clashes raged at Baramulla Old Town and Palhallan hamlet. A protest was reported from Ajas area of Bandipora district.
The train service from Banihal to Baramulla was suspended owing to law and order problem in Budgam. A Railway official said that the train services in the Kashmir valley were suspended today for security reasons. “We have suspended all train runs in the Kashmir valley for security reasons,” a railway official said.
He said there will be no train services between Srinagar-Budgam and Baramulla in North Kashmir. Similarly, the train services between Budgam-Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund in South Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region have been suspended.
The decision to suspend train services was taken after receiving advisory from the police and administration. In the past, railways suffered loss of property worth crores of rupees in violence in the Valley, particularly during strike calls.
Last year for about six months, the train services remained suspended in the Valley due to trouble.

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